After the unsatisfactory updates that Apple gave its users, they are now introducing iOS 8.1 version. Gotta Be Mobile cited that instead of waiting months to release iOS 8.1, Apple delivered the free update to the iPhone 6 Plus and other devices.
The iOS 8.1 release focused on a large number of bug fixes and it also adds in support for new features like Apple Pay, and the last parts of handoff, text messaging and continuity between the iPhone 6 Plus and a Mac running OS X Yosemite.
Macworld added that the release is not a "dot" anymore. It has many great features and full of new great and exciting changes on how can a user chose to work, shop and share.
According to Techradar, these new features are more bug-free now that iOS 8.1 had launched. It's a worthwhile 170MB download that fixes the Wi-Fi and battery drain problems, in which, a handful of users experienced over the last month. iOS 8.1 isn't alone because it is coupled with the debut of Apple Pay and cross-compatible OS X Yosemite features.
Arstechnica seconded the great reviews by saying that it shouldn't be compared to iOS 7.1 that disappointed many users after waiting for six months. Apple is mixing things up with iOS 8. Version 8.1 is here just a month after the initial release, and plentiful evidence shows that both versions 8.2 and 8.3 are already in testing at Cupertino. It's a rapid-fire schedule more in line with iOS 4, a release in which bug fixes and new features were introduced at a steady but more gradual clip.
The most awaited feature of this update is the Apple Pay. But it is only usable on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the iPad Air 2, and iPad Mini 3.
Apple Pay lets you scan compatible credit cards into your iPhone or iPad and then use that card to make purchases within apps and at NFC-enabled checkout counters. The credit card is stored locally in your device. It does not sync with iCloud. It is deleted if you wipe the phone. No part of the credit card number is ever available to Apple or to any of the retailers you're paying. A device ID and a unique per-transaction ID is used to confirm the purchases and charge your card, and once charged, the money you spend racks up rewards points and any other perks just as standard purchases would.
